Couch to 5K and One Hour Runners

Welcome to C25K and OHR runners group! FAQ! (Read 2819 times)

Welcome everyone to the Couch-to-5K and One Hour Runners support group! This thread is for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the programs, the group, RunningAHEAD, etc. So if you have a question we've not answered here, please speak up!

The Couch-to-5K Running Plan
Our beginner's running schedule has helped thousands of new runners get off the couch and onto the roads, running 3 miles in just two months.
By Josh Clark
Posted Wednesday, 25 October, 2006
Too many people have been turned off of running simply by trying to start off too fast. Their bodies rebel, and they wind up miserable, wondering why anyone would possibly want to do this to themselves.
You should ease into your running program gradually. In fact, the beginners' program we outline here is less of a running regimen than a walking and jogging program. The idea is to transform you from couch potato to runner, getting you running three miles (or 5K) on a regular basis in just two months.
It's easy to get impatient, and you may feel tempted to skip ahead in the program, but hold yourself back. Don't try to do more, even if you feel you can. If, on the other hand, you find the program too strenuous, just stretch it out. Don't feel pressured to continue faster than you're able. Repeat weeks if needed and move ahead only when you feel you're ready.
A few minutes each week
Each session should take about 20 or 30 minutes, three times a week. That just happens to be the same amount of moderate exercise recommended by numerous studies for optimum fitness. This program will get you fit. (Runners who do more than this amount are doing it for more than fitness, and before long you might find yourself doing the same as well).
Be sure to space out these three days throughout the week to give yourself a chance to rest and recover between efforts. And don't worry about how fast you're going. Running faster can wait until your bones are stronger and your body is fitter. For now focus on gradually increasing the time or distance you run.
Run for time, or run for distance
There are two ways to follow this program, to measure your runs by time or by distance. Either one works just as well, choose the option that seems easiest for you to keep track of. If you go with the distance option, and you are not using a track to measure the distances, just estimate. It's not important to have the distances absolutely exact.
Before setting out, make sure to precede each session with a five-minute warmup walk or jog. Be sure to stretch both before and after. Read "Stay Loose" for some suggestions.
The Cool Running Couch to 5K program is now available for download in Active Trainer. It's the same program that has helped thousands of runners across the finish-line, published to your personal online training calendar. Active Trainer allows you to log your progress against the program. Try the program today!
The schedule
Bookmark this page so that you can easily return to check on your progress. You can also add daily run reminders to the Cool Running homepage. To do this, edit your start page preferences.

Week

Workout 1

Workout 2

Workout 3

1

Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 60 seconds of jogging and 90 seconds of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

2

Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Brisk five-minute warmup walk. Then alternate 90 seconds of jogging and two minutes of walking for a total of 20 minutes.

Becoming a One Hour Runner
The key component of this program is the one long run per week. It builds up endurance and lays the foundation for further progress.
Weeks 1 - 3: Right now you are running 30 minutes a day, 3 days a week. Your weekly commitment of time is 90 minutes. Continue doing this for three weeks.
Week 4: Run 30 minutes, 29 minutes, 35 minutes. Weekly total: 94 minutes
Week 5: Run 30 minutes, 32 minutes, 38 minutes Weekly total: 100 minutes
Week 6: Run 30 minutes, 33 minutes, 41 minutes Weekly total: 104 minutes
Week 7: Run 30 minutes, 34 minutes, 45 minutes Weekly total: 109 minutes
Week 8: Run 30 minutes, 36 minutes , 49 minute Weekly total: 115 minutes
Week 9: Run 30 minutes, 38 minutes, 54 minutes Weekly total: 122 minutes
Week 10: Run 30 minutes, 40 minutes, 60 minutes Weekly total: 130 minutes
A personal note: When you are trying to increase your distance, some days feel good and others feel awful. Listen to your body. Be willing to back off. There is no hurry. These schedules are designed for the best possible circumstances, and sometimes you just need more time to adapt. Never move on to the next higher distance until you feel totally comfortable with the one you did today. I can remember once doing the same mileage for three weeks before I felt I had the strength to add a bit more.
I have many more tips and personal stories to help you be a better runner, to safely enjoy the sport, to eat properly and to help you select the right kind of shoes, clothing and sport bras.
I encourage you to buy my book.
by Kathrine Switzer - Program Director - Avon Running

Note: the book she refers to is: Running and Walking for Women Over 40, The Road to Sanity and Vanity (St. Martin's Press), By Kathrine Switzer

I'm really old/out of shape. Can I become a runner using these programs?

Generally speaking if you're over 35, you should get approval from your doctor before starting any exercise program.
Given that, chances are pretty good that you can.
The biggest difference that age makes in starting running is that you'll likely be slower to adapt and will need more down time. Be sure not to do your runs on back-to-back days, and expect to repeat a week or two.
The difference that being out of shape when starting running is that it may take you longer to get through the program than your fitter peers. Expect to repeat a week or two, and compare your results to where you were previously rather than where anyone else is.
Everyone's body is different. Part of becoming a runner is learning how to work with and train the body that you currently have. Wishful thinking won't cut it. If your body's tired, you need to be gentle with it, not beat it up for being unable to give more.
And everyone has bad days in running now and then. The difference between a runner and a couch potatoe is that the runner kept on trying even when there were bad days. Good luck!

You have several resources available to you. The Health and Nutrition forum is one place people often post to talk about their aches and pains. I would NOT recommend posting your injury questions to this group for the simple reason that most of the posters here are about as new to running as you.
That said, there are some common culprits to most running injuries:
1) "Terrible Too's" - too much (mileage) too fast (speed) too soon (too rapid progression). Look at your training log and see what you've been doing lately.
2) Old or improperly fitted shoes. Get thee to a running store and have your gait analyzed so that you buy the correct type of shoe for your foot.
As a rule of thumb, if something keeps getting worse, doesn't respond to three days off, or hurts bad enough to interfere with your stride, it's time to dig a little deeper.

You can post a picture in the forums by posting a link to it and telling the browser to show a picture. Here's how:
The picture must already be online. Get the URL of the picture itself (not the web page). Copy and paste that into your message. It might look like this:
http://www.runningahead.com/images/forum/fmt_image.gif.
Highlight the URL in your message and click the image button, .
Your picture should show up when you post your message!

I've heard that you should run on the balls of your feet. Is this true?

At this point in your running career, chances are that how your foot hits the ground is about the last thing you should be worrying about. (Just above speed, lol!) Do whatever feels natural to you at this point. Trying to force yourself into a different gait just because someone says that EVERYONE should run a particular way is like trying to wear someone else's shoes. Great for them. Not so great for you. Some great runners heel-strike. Some great runners toe-strike. Some great runners land in the middle of their feet first. Some great runners run barefoot!
If you're getting personal (not online) 1 on 1 coaching from a trained coach, that's one thing. 99% of people in this group won't be.

Short answer: no.
Some people find it more psychologically comfortable to call the weeks "phases" or "levels." Everyone's body is different, and it is very common for someone to need more than 9 weeks to complete the program. Just keep trying and don't feel bad if you need to repeat a week.
It's better to take 12 or 15 weeks to build up to a 30 minute run than it is to try to make it take 9 and then get hurt or for it to be so difficult that you no longer want to be a runner! Remember, you're in it for the long haul (right?) so be patient with yourself and concentrate on making running a habit. It's a journey, not a destination.

You may have noticed some people have a link to this group in their sig file. Every time they post on the main boards, people can see this link and click on it in order to be directed to this group. You can help bring new runners into our group by doing the same thing. Here's how:
On the upper right hand corner of the screen, click on "Options."
Select "My Forum Preferences."
Put the following text in the text box:
[a href="http://www.runningahead.com/groups/C25K/"] Couch to 5K and One Hour Runners support group[/a]
Replace both sets of [ and ] in the above text with < and="" />.
Make sure the check box that reads "Signature contains HTML" is checked.
Click Save.
That's it!

Short answer: no.
It's very common for your endurance to adapt MUCH more quickly than your bones and joints. Running is a high-impact sport. It takes more than good lungs to be a runner - it takes learning to protect your joints from injury. It takes longer for your joints to adapt than you'd think.
I know it's tempting, but DON'T DO IT! While there's a chance you may be able to get away with it and you not get hurt, you're much more likely to get hurt if you skip a week. Be patient! Getting hurt puts you back a lot farther than if you'd just stuck with the program.

Overstriding means you're taking really really long steps... too long for your legs. You're reaching way out in front of you for that next step and as you're doing so BAM! your heel hits and your leg naturally brakes you. Try to avoid this.

I'm new to the group and have a couple of questions. I got my name added to the graph on the home page and the list on the reports page. I did not use the automatic form link. So I don't understand how I even have a bar on the graph or time and distance in the report page. And if you were able to update these already, why is the automatic form necessary?

Your name is on the graph of our home page because you requested me to add it in the "Get Your Name Added To the Graph" thread back on 8/3. You said you were on week 1, so I went ahead and gave you an entry that said you were on week one.

The graph on the home page of this group is a Googledocs document that I have linked to the home page. It is maintained separately from RA and does not read your log. The only time it knows to update what week you are on is when you tell it to by using the update form (click). I created this graph/form system to help people track their progress and encourage each other.

The "Reports" page that you get to by clicking on "Reports" on the left hand side of the screen is something that RA provides for all groups. It shows running data for all group members that have publicly viewable logs. Eric, the owner and creator of RunningAHEAD made this page, and it DOES read your log and update automatically, though it does not track Couch to 5K progress specifically.